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Monthly archives: October 2010

Tomas Andersson Wij’s new start

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A statue of a child that seems like an Andersen’s tales caracter, in the middle of two windows. Forest and buildings. Books and shadows.
“You see, through this window you can see the south of the city, where I lived as a kid… And on the other side of the appartment you can see the center of Stockholm. I’m now right in the middle between my childhood and my youth…”
Like a new start for a new life for Tomas Andersson Wij who has just moved recently to this new home with his family.
Tomas sings in Swedish. To be honest, I don’t understand his lyrics but the interesting thing is that I can be simply moved by his music and just let go.
Like in front of a landscape trough an opened window…

Listen to “Swedish Music Landscapes” playlist in the music room

Julien Bourgeois

October 29, 2010

Steso Songs’ trees

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I met Karolina -aka Steso Songs- in Årsta, in the south of Stockholm.
Few (slippery) steps from the bus station, we arrived in a park. A twilight of a winter afternoon was coming through the trees. Silence and brightness. Just few small red houses for gardening was breaking the trees vertical rythm. Everything else was wood and snow. You could never believe you are in the city. The paths was as white as the rest, so you just had to make your own.
Few (slippery) steps later, we arrived on the waterfront. You could join Södermalm by walking on the frozen water. But we weren’t too much confident about it…
Karolina comes from a village near Malmö where she was used to be surrounded by nature. And trees are what inspire her mostly. Everytime she moves to a new place, one of the first thing she does is to look for the kind of place she brought me to. And thankfully, even Stockholm gives you a huge choice!

Listen to “Swedish Music Landscapes” playlist in the music room

Julien Bourgeois

October 26, 2010

Josephinelust with Jens Lekman

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It was midsommar. One of the most important celebration in Sweden, dedicated to summer.
I was sitting on a stone by the ocean with Jens Lekman at Josephinelust near Höganas.
Say “Höganas” to swedes and they will automatically say “ceramic?” in return, but the region also has amazing landscapes that Jens invited me to share on that special day.
We waited hours for the best light. Around us stuning and dramatic cliffs made of sharp stones hide behind a forest.
And suddenly, everything was like burning. Sky. Ocean. And stones. All in one. As a midsommar bonfire.

Julien Bourgeois

October 22, 2010

Wildbirds & Peacedrums fairy tale

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Once upon a time a wildbird and a peacedrum were standing in the middle of the road, aware of what could come from right and left…
I don’t know why but this name, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, always makes me think about a fairy tale world. And their music too. Not a world of prince and princess, but one with magic. Something unsettling, dark and intriguing world.
Making a shooting on crossroads needs to be safe more than magic but don’t worry, the tale ends like “They lived happy and moved to Stockholm.”

Mariam -Wildbirds – & Andreas -Peacedrums- invited me to meet them in Majorna, their neighborhood, in Göteborg.
After a walk around and few pictures we decided to make the last shots in the street using the tramlines and the beautiful sky of june. A so spring-like Göteborg!
Mariam and Andreas told me that they were packing their stuffs in boxes because they were about to move to Stockholm few days after.
By this shooting I wasn’t just offering them a break in their hard work, but also something that sounds like a “goodbye and see you soon Göteborg!”.
As they moved to Stockholm on the same day as the princess’ wedding, we can say that another tale begins!

Listen to “Swedish Music Landscapes” playlist in the music room

Julien Bourgeois

October 19, 2010

The dear Dalarna of Dear Euphoria

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I first contacted Elina Johansson from Dear Euphoria last february :
“I mostly get my inspiration from heartbreak, longings, the confusion and lifes struggles not depending of any location.
But I would love to show you my Dalarna. Where I wrote my first songs… But it would have to be summer or at least spring.”
So we waited. That snow melts. That flowers blossom. And then I came. In june.

Yellow fields by the road. A forest that hides a lake. The reflection of a heavy sky on water. Bare feet on a wood pontoon. You can hear all that in Elina’s voice. All the poetry and melancholy of a Swedish landscape in her songs.

“Us swedes are in love with our summers and probably many will want to show you summer and nature… even though we might write most of our songs during the cold dark winter.”
The contrast and contradiction of life.
Thanks Elina.

Listen to “Swedish Music Landscapes” playlist in the music room

Julien Bourgeois

October 15, 2010